Chorizo, Potato and Mushroom Tacos

It's no secret in our house that my husband loves him some chorizo.  It's also no secret that I'm always on the look out for a quick weeknight meal.  This recipe fit both and sounded delicious, so I decided to give it a try.  Normally when I make tacos, I serve them with cheese and sour cream, but now that we're a (mostly) dairy-free household, I can't do that anymore.  This recipe was so flavorful and filling that I didn't miss the dairy at all!  So next time you have taco night, I highly recommend you trying this recipe!

Chorizo, Potato and Mushroom Tacos

Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday, as seen on Pink Parsley

12 oz fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed
1 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz of your favorite mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
12 oz red skin, yukon gold or russet potato, grated
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
12 warm corn tortillas, for sering
3/4 c tomatillo salsa, for serving
1 avocado, sliced, for serving
Margaritas, optional but definitely recommended!

Crumble the chorizo into a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often to break up any large lumps, until some of the fat starts to render and the sausage looks half-cooked, about 4-5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the onions, garlic and mushrooms.  Cook, stirring nearly constantly, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the grated potato over the sausage mixture and continue cooking until the potatoes are soft, about 3 minutes, stirring often.  Reduce the temperature if the potatoes start to brown before they soften.  Taste and season with salt if necessary - some chorizo is highly seasoned.

Scrape mixture into serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.  Serve with warm tortillas, tomatillo salsa and sliced avocado.

Read more...

Sneaky Spaghetti Sauce

When I hear people say that if you prepare vegetables well enough and often enough, then your child will eat them and love them, I automatically think one of two things.  First, they are incredibly lucky to have a child who apparently isn't a picky eater.  Or secondly, they don't have kids.  These naysayers also judge those parents who choose to 'hide' vegetables in the food they prepare their children.  "I mean, by hiding vegetables in food, how will the poor child ever learn to eat and appreciate vegetables on their own?!?"

I used to be one of these people.  Being somewhat of a foodie, I naively believed that by offering Finley the same foods I prepared for Andrew and myself, she would naturally develop a sophisticated palate.  And compared to most kids her age, maybe she has.  But she's still only two and a half and will choose a (veggie, organic) chicken nugget over broccolini any day of the week.

But here's what I've learned through my short years of motherhood.  Most kids are fickle eaters and they go through phases (usually fairly quickly!) of what they like and don't like.  For instance, one night Finley ate 10 spears of asparagus with her dinner.  I was so proud, pretty much ecstatic really, that I had a toddler who loved a green veggie besides canned green beans!  I marched to Costco the next day and bought the 6-lb bag of asparagus only to come home to a toddler who adamantly refused to eat. a. single. bite. of. asparagus. ever. again.

And this is why I am a firm believer of offering tasty, fresh vegetables at every meal (because sometimes Fin surprises me and eats her carrots or broccoli) BUT also hiding vegetables in meals wherever I can.  I mean, really what is the harm in packing more vegetables into a meal?  It's healthier all the way around!  This is a spaghetti sauce recipe I created when Fin was going through her 'I-only-want-to-eat-pasta-and-ice-cream' phase.  We enjoy the sauce so much, it's now the only meat sauce I ever make anymore.  It's jam packed with vegetables (onion, tomatoes, bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots, celery, zucchini and squash) so it's healthy and tasty.  When I make this spaghetti, I can rest easy because if Finley refuses to eat any of her vegetable side dishes that night, I don't have to worry since she ate some of the dreaded veggies without even knowing it.  And that makes me happy :-)

This recipe makes enough for about 10-12 servings.  I always make the full recipe - I serve it for dinner and then divide the leftovers into two or three large ziplock bags and throw them in the freezer for another night. Also, if you need to clean out your veggie drawer, feel free to throw in any other vegetables too!

Sneaky Spaghetti Sauce
a Baking and Eggs original

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
4-8 oz fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, shredded
1 yellow squash, shredded
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 cup red wine (or substitute with more beef stock)
1/2 beef stock
1 lb Italian sausage or Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 lb ground beef or ground bison
2 29-oz cans tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce)
1 14.5-oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, drained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving (omit if you're dairy free)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
1 small can tomato paste
cooked spaghetti noodles, for serving

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add bell pepper, onion, carrots, and celery.  Cook, stirring often, until onion becomes translucent.  Add mushrooms, garlic, zucchini, squash, basil, fennel seed, oregano and rosemary and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Stir in wine and beef stock and let simmer while the meat cooks.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan cook Italian sausage and ground beef over medium heat, breaking up any big lumps, until meat is browned.  Drain fat.  Add meat to vegetable mixture.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Stir well to combine.  Cover and lower heat to medium-low.  Cook, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for at least one hour.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.  About 20 minutes before serving, stir in tomato paste if the sauce is too watery.  Continue to cook sauce over medium-low heat until ready to eat.  Serve over cooked noodles and sprinkle with extra parmesan.

Read more...

Kielbasa with Pierogies and Caramelized Onions

I made this recipe on Saturday night and I really liked it. A lot. I think I might even make it again for dinner tonight! It struck me as a new take on a meat and potatoes kind of dinner. The original recipe (from the Food Network Magazine) calls for everything to be cooked on the grill, but in my neck of the woods, it's been over a 100 degrees everyday - except for a few days last week when we had a "cold front" come in and the temperature only got up to 97 - so I really didn't feel like standing in the heat to man the grill. I changed the recipe up just a little and cooked everything in one large saute pan. Easy peasy and it was delish!

In case you've never had a pierogie before, they are Polish dumplings that are traditionally stuffed with a potato filling. They can usually be found in the frozen food section of your grocery store near the potatoes/french fries.

Kielbasa with Pierogies and Caramelized Onions

adapted from the Food Network Magazine

3 T olive oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 pkg potato and cheese pierogies

1 lb kielbasa sausage, sliced

2 T apple cider vinegar

2 T coarse or whole grain mustard

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

In a large saucepan, heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, stirring occasionally, until they turn a golden color, about 15-20 minutes. Spread pierogies on top of onions in a single layer. Lower heat to medium, cover pan and let cook another 5 minutes, stirring every other minute. Add sausage slices and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until pierogies and sausage are cooked through and starting to turn golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together vinegar, mustard and remaining 1 T olive oil.

Add dressing to pan with the sausages, pierogies and onions and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Place on a serving platter and garnish with parsley.

Read more...

Jambalaya

When it's cold outside (you know, one of the three days in Texas), and I'm not in the mood for chili, then jambalaya usually fits the bill. I love it! I've had a few jambalaya disasters - i.e. the time I found a recipe that called for 2 tablespoons of sugar!!! - but I think I've finally come up with a delicious and fairly easy dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Jambalaya

an Erin original

2 T olive oil

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small white onion (or 1/2 of a large one), chopped

1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced

1 t smoked paprika

1 t garlic salt

1 t thyme

1 bay leaf

black pepper, to taste

1 (14.5-oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 t Worcestershire sauce

3-4 dashes (or more if you like it really spicy!) Tabasco sauce

4 c chicken broth

2 c white rice

1 chicken breast, cooked and meat shredded (rotisserie chicken is perfect), optional

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled, optional

3 green onions, chopped on diagonal, optional

In a large pot over medium heat, add oil. When oil is hot, add celery, bell pepper and onion. Saute until slightly softened, about five minutes. Add sausage to pot and continue to cook a few more minutes, until sausage is thoroughly heated and starting to brown. With a slotted spoon, remove sausage and place on paper towel-lined plate. Set sausage aside.

Add paprika, garlic salt, thyme and pepper. Stir to combine. Add bay leaf, tomatoes (with their juice), Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and broth. Bring to a boil. Add rice and stir to combine. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for 15-20 minutes. Add sausage, chicken (if using) and shrimp (if using) and continue to cook an additional 5 minutes, or until shrimp is pink and rice is tender. Remove bay leaf and spoon into bowls. Garnish with green onions (if using).

Read more...

Pigs in a Blacket with Chile Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

From the impressive, and vast, appetizer buffet that we put together, nothing was eaten faster than the good ole standby Pigs in a Blanket. I'd been hoping that there would be some left over for breakfast the next day, but the entire platter was devoured quickly. Always a crowd favorite, especially with the men! It's such an easy, simple appetizer, but I've tried to make it a little bit more gourmet than the standard recipe.

Pigs in a Blanket with Chile Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Pigs:

1 pkg cheddar lil smokies sausages

1 pkg crescent roll dough

1 egg, beaten

1 t poppy seeds

1 t sesame seeds

1 t dried chives

Sauce:

2 T mayonnaise

2 T honey

2 T Dijon mustard

1 t ancho chile powder

1 t garlic powder

1 t white wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Meanwhile unroll crescent dough and press seams together to form one large square. Cut in half vertically and then cut each half into half again vertically to create four rectangles. Cut each rectangle into thin strips horizontally. Wrap a strip around each sausage. Place on baking sheet. Repeat until you used all the dough and/or sausages.

Add a bit of water to the beaten egg and brush each dough wrapped sausage with a bit of the egg mixture. In a small bowl, mix poppy seeds, sesame seeds and chives together. Sprinkle herb mixture evenly over the 'pigs'. (You can easily omit this step or use just about any mixture of seeds and herbs.) Bake for about 15 minutes, or until dough is golden. Serve hot or warm.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Read more...

Shrimp and Grits

Tonight was chili weather but I wasn't in the mood for chili. I looked at what we had in the house and I decided on shrimp and grits - down-home, hearty food. After I looked at several recipes, I decided to wing it and the results were really good. Andrew and I both enjoyed this dish a lot and it came together very quickly. The down side is that I really needed a helper (luckily Andrew stepped up to the plate) to be stirring the grits while I worked on the shrimp sauce.

Shrimp and Grits - serves 4

for the grits

2 1/2 c chicken broth

1 c white corn meal

1 c heavy cream

1/2 c white cheddar, shredded

1 T butter

salt and pepper to taste

for the shrimp sauce

2 T olive oil

1 small white onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 t oregano

1 lb spicy sausage, sliced

3 T flour

1 1/2 c chicken broth

2 T worcestershire sauce

several dashes of hot sauce

1 bay leaf

1 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined

green onions, chopped, for garnish

parsley, chopped, for garnish

For the grits, in a large pot over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil. Stir in cornmeal and whisk nearly continuously for the first 2-3 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low and stir occasionally. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Mixture will be very thick. (Don't be tempted to add extra liquid - I did and our grits were a tad too runny.) Take it off the heat and stir in the cream, white cheddar cheese and butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile for the shrimp sauce, in a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add onions and bell pepper and saute until the vegetables start to soften. Add garlic, oregano and sliced sausage and saute for about 5-7 minutes, or until sausage has rendered most of its fat. Add the flour and stir well to make an easy roux. Cook for 2-3 minutes - remember I said this was an easy, not authentic, roux! Slowly add chicken broth, stirring constantly so lumps don't develop. Add the worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and bay leaf. Allow mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and cooked through. Pull off the heat.

To serve, ladle grits in a bowl, top with the shrimp sauce and garnish with green onions and parsley. Delicious with a good white wine!

Read more...

Andrew's Smokey Red Sauce

Hi there, this is Andrew, Erin's husband. Let me start this recipe by saying that, to me, cooking is more art than science. Whereas baking, on the other hand, is more science than art. So with that being said, please feel free to "trust your gut" and modify the recipe as you see fit.

Ingredients:
Half pound of hamburger
3 slices of bacon, diced
1 link of Italian sausage, casing removed
3/4 shallot
1/2 red onion
1 14 oz. can of peeled whole tomatoes
1 roma tomato
tomato paste
parmesan cheese
italian seasoning
red pepper
Worchestshire Sauce
Red Wine
Olive oil

Mix the bacon, hamburger, and italian sausage together and then brown the meat in a pan. When the meat is brown, remove it from the pan and drain off the excess grease on a paper towel and set aside.

In a food processor, puree the can of whole, peeled tomatos and the roma tomato and then set aside.

Slice the shallot into 1/16-1/8 inch slices and dice the red onion. Saute in pan with 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Once shallots and onions start to brown, add the pureed tomatoes and reduce the heat to medium.

As soon as the sauce starts to begin simmering, stir in the meat and then the italian seasoning and red pepper to taste. A good ball park amount is from a teaspoon to a teaspoon and a half of italian seasonings and one decent shake of red pepper. Of course add as much or as little red pepper as you desire.

Add a quarter cup or so of red wine.

Let simmer for about ten to fifteen minutes.

Add a quarter to a third of a cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Cook at least five more minutes.

Add two tablespoons of tomato paste five to ten minutes before serving.

That's it. Serve this sauce with your favorite pasta. Top it off with parmesan cheese to taste and enjoy!

Read more...

Stuffed Mushrooms

I love trying recipes that have a seemingly odd combinations of flavors and this one fits the bill with raisins, pine nuts, sausage and olives. It is a Tyler Florence recipe and I almost always like what he cooks and this one did not disappoint. I served it as an appetizer on Thanksgiving and there weren't any of them left. Overall, I thought they were really good, pretty hearty and I will definitely make them again. (I didn't get a good picture so I'm using the picture on Food Network's website.)

Here's the link to the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/stuffed-mushrooms-with-sausage-recipe2/index.html

Read more...

Quick Chicken and Chorizo Paella

For my birthday Andrew got me an iPhone and I have such fun playing some with of the apps. My favorite is the epicurious.com application that lets you search recipes and create shopping lists from your saved recipes. Love it! Now when I'm at the grocery store and I see that there are lamb shanks on sale or some other random protein, I can whip out the iPhone and literally have thousands of recipes at my fingertips! But I digress...

Anyway, the Quick Chicken and Chorizo Paella recipe is from epicurious - here's the link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Quick-Chicken-and-Chorizo-Paella-105696 I ran into a slight problem when HEB didn't have chorizo sausage in its casings. They only carried ground pork with chorizo seasonings, which is what I ended up going with. It definitely effected the authenticity of the dish but it still tasted really great. Next time I'll just have to remember that its a recipe that requires a trip to Central Market for the correct ingredients. I served it with a simple salad of avocadoes, tomatoes, green onions and cilantro dressed in lime juice.

Read more...

Tortellini Soup

Since it was such a dreary day I decided soup was in order. This is the second time I've made this recipe and Andrew and I really enjoy it. I serve it with Pillsbury garlic breadsticks that I sprinkle with Italian seasoning prior to baking. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tortellini-Soup-I/Detail.aspx?prop31=1

Read more...